


Too Callout to the Fallout.

by FazedMuttley



Series: Fallout Fics. [3]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: F/F, Gen, On Hiatus, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-08-18 22:29:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8178460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FazedMuttley/pseuds/FazedMuttley
Summary: Sole is frozen in Vault 111 and once she is found, how will she survive in the Commonwealth? Just what will happen when our favorite raven haired reporter breaks though to the Pre-war Soldier and exposes what lies beneath to the harsh truths of the Wasteland. Will Stephanie survive or will she fall like so many before her?





	1. A New Story.

Piper wandered through Diamond City, her home, but today it didn’t feel like it, the recent article had made everyone nervous but why shouldn’t it, its not everyday you see your Mayor meeting a mysterious person in a dark alley outside the city with no guards and then for the person he was meeting to disappear into thin air with naught but a sound like lightning, The Institute was involved and Piper knew it, the problem, she couldn’t prove it.

As she walked towards the heart of Diamond City, she chuckled at her own pun, she thought about the rumors she had heard, a rumour from a trader that arrived a few days prior having come from the ruins of Quincy spoke of a old Mr Handy that handed out free water to travellers as they ventured through a small pre-war village, Sanctuary Hills, sounded so poetic and so like a trap set up by slavers, but she trusted her source, as he had provided her with valuable information in the past, plus he brought Nat gifts, and had never steered her wrong before.

The neon heart shone bright lighting the alley pink. Valentines Detective Agency. She walked down the entry way and opened the door.

"Nick" she called and got no answer "Oi Nick!" she called louder, to which she heard footsteps.

"Bonjour Piper" Curie said as she approached "Monsieur Valentine is not present"

"Damn!" Piper said "Had something juicy too" her gaze fell to Curies delicate hands that were usually so clean and proper but at the moment covered in oil "What you up to?" the reporter asked with a raised brow.

"Oh" Curie said with a smile "I found an old terminal that was non functional so I decided to fix it, it is proving most difficult in this body" Piper smiled as Curie walked back the way she had come leading Piper to a blanket spread out on the floor where Curie had obviously been working, every tool and piece of the terminal was placed evenly apart and in what appeared to be size order.

"All the tools are separate appendices and I have to switch between them, unlike my multifunctional arms on my Miss Nanny body” Curies gaze fell to her hands “Then there is the dirt" Piper laughed as Curie shuddered "My fingers get so oily, yet if I wear gloves the task becomes even more difficult, how do humans mange to get things done if they have to sanitise themselves so frequently..."

Piper had sat at Ellies desk and doodled on one of her Notepads while she listened to Curie ramble as she tinkered with the terminal commenting every now and again to let Curie know she was listening, she looked at her friend who was currently talking about how she was studying Mutfruit, her gaze fell to the terminal and most of the pieces were gone now in the time she had been doodling and simply listening to her friends ramblings.

"The moment of truth" Curie chimed with a smile and wiping her hands on a cloth before picking up a series of multi-coloured wires, she then walked over to the wall and attached the wires she was holding to the power supply in Nicks office and the terminal lit up, Piper stood walked over to the machine and then lowered herself in front of it sitting cross-legged as Curie had been doing during her tinkering and watched the screen flicker into life, she scanned the pre-war text as the operating system booted up.

"Sorry Curie" Piper said as she looked up from the screen "Looks like it wants a password"

“Merde” Curie sighed causing Piper to chuckle as it was one of the few times she heard the former Miss Nanny curse “I shall look at it later” she walked over and held her hand out for Piper who took it and allowed herself to be pulled up.

“Maybe Nick can crack it” Piper added.

“I can crack what?” came Nicks synthetized voice as the door to his office closed, Piper hadn’t even heard it open.

“My terminal” Curie said happily “I got it working”

“That’s great Curie” Nick replied “However my more pressing concern is why Piper is standing in my office”

“Can’t I just visit a friend Nick?” Piper asked innocently.

“No Piper, You always have some trouble following you” Nick replied humour in his tone.

“No I don’t” Piper said grouchily folding her arms.

“Just last week you had the guards following you because you, and I quote, were being disorderly”

“So” Piper replied trying to supress her grin.

“Piper, you were in the bar” Nick replied with a chuckle “You were nearly arrested for being disorderly. In. A. Bar.” Piper was about to reply but Nick stopped her with “While Sober I might add, only you could do that Piper”

“You Clockwork Dick, Nick” Piper replied causing Nick to just laugh, Curie looked at them both clearly confused.

“But Nick is not operated by Clockwork” the Miss Nanny turned Synth said “He is powered by a form of fusion”

“Yes Curie” Nick replied “That was Pipers attempt at an insult”

“Well...” Piper said flustered and blinked a few times “You’re still a dick Nick” Nick laughed harder and even Curie joined in with a light chuckle.

*****

After a while Piper had actually managed to tell Nick what she had learnt and they were underway the next morning. They made it to Sanctuary Hills in just under a day having only met minor resistance from Raiders and a few ghouls on the outskirts of Cambridge.

The Mister Handy, Codsworth his name was, had proven to be a trove of information, well and Water, it seemed as though he had a built in purifier. Piper had managed to convince the Mister Handy to part with five bottles, which had of course caused Nick to sigh and rub his ‘brow’. While Nick busied himself with interrogating the robot, if you could call it that as Codsworth loved talking and wouldn’t shut up or down with the latter being Pipers preference after listening to it for just five minutes, Piper and Curie were currently setting up a camp near the Vault on the hill behind Sanctuary.

“Do you really think there is an untouched Vault down there?” Curie asked as she was starting a small fire using some of the brambles and sticks she had gathered from nearby and Pipers lighter.

“Could be” Piper replied “Never heard of this one and well I can’t even see how you would get in, I mean look at it” Curie looked up and tilted her head to the side, Piper knew that the women was thinking it was one of the many mannerisms that Curie had developed since transferring to her human body.

“Perhaps it has a weight requirement such as landing a Vertibird here” Curie replied then shook her head “No the dimensions are wrong” Curie stood and walked over so she was standing on top of the door, she crouched and brushed some of the dirt away from the edges “I defiantly think it is an elevator of some kind” she said looking up at Piper with a smile, that the reporter thought was way too cute, shaking her head Piper approached.

“How do you know?”

“There is no way for this to spin” Curie replied pointing at the cog shaped groves around the edge of the platform “The door on Vault eighty-one is pulled back and rotated, if one did this here the occupants of the platform would fall through” Curie tilted her head again “Unless it is opened and then the occupants descend stairs underneath the door, the possibilities!” she ended in a gleeful voice and that smile again.

“Well either way looks like we are camping here till the morning” Piper said looking at the sun setting over Boston.

Curie looked up and followed Pipers gaze, the Synth let out a shocked noise that caused Piper to look over at her, Curies mouth was open and her eyes were wide, she was in awe.

“It is beautiful” Curie said and Piper watched as she sat down on the vault door and just watched the sky as the sun descended over the ruins of Boston, Piper smiled and sat next to her as they waited for Nick imagining what this skyline must have looked like when it was intact.

*****

The next morning Piper awoke to see Curie watching the sun rise in a similar position as to when she had watched it set the night before, she began looking for Nick as the Synth was mysteriously absent. She didn’t have to look far, and when she found him she waited all of ten seconds before talking, which to her was a new record.

“So Nick” Piper said as she watched the Detective work on the controls for the Vault door in the small booth near the door itself, he was currently laying on his back coatless with his shirt sleeves rolled up and wrist deep into wiring and circuits having opened the access panel underneath the controls. “Shouldn’t it be Curie doing this?”

“Piper, I’m shocked that you think I can’t do this” Nick replied.

“Well she did just restore a pre-war terminal from nothing” Piper said folding her arms, then lowering them when she realised Nick wouldn’t have noticed her do so since his attention was focused on the panel.

“Yes” Nick replied “Kudos to her but...”

“Kudos?” Piper said cutting him off.

“Compliments or congratulations on an achievement” Curie said from behind them making Piper jump as she hadn’t heard her approach, she saw Curies smile that was directed at Nick “Merci Monsieur Valentine”

“Curie, how many times am I going to have to remind you to call me Nick” Nick replied with a small sigh.

“At least once more Monsieur Valentine” Curie replied and Piper laughed.

*****

About forty minutes later Nick had managed to get the controls working again he was currently stood looking at what seemed to be a rotting book of some kind.

“Nick!” Piper called out “You sure this is an elevator and we aren’t just going to plunge to our deaths” Curie let out a shocked noise and she felt her friends gaze on her, Piper felt awful and when she saw Nicks glare she turned to Curie with an apologetic look on her face.

Piper turned back in time to see Nick cast the book aside and hit something on the panel, before the platform lurched into life and Nick bolted to join them. He jumped and landed funny nearly falling, Curie caught him and steadied him, Nick mumbled a ‘Thanks’.

A few moments of silence passed until Piper heard Nick speak “Once more unto the breach”

“Oh, Monsieur Nick you know Shakespeare!” Curie said clearly delighted, Piper could just about make out her bouncing from foot to foot in excitement as something slid into place above them plunging them into Darkness, she shuddered knowing that whoever designed this place couldn’t leave a massive hole in the ground but they could at least have installed some lights.

*****

Once Nick had managed to get the Vault door open, the siren was enough to wake Piper from her slumber on the elevator since it was the only dry surface down in the vault entrance and she had decided to take an nap considering she had taken first watch and was still rather tired.

As Nick and Curie entered, Piper pulled out the portable holotape recorder she carried with her and checked for her spare tapes, she had four plus the tape already loaded, she knew that should be enough so she started recording.

“Vault one-eleven it says on the door, Nick managed to get the second door open, I know right two doors, one a giant elevator taking us down for what felt like miles and a standard vault door. It’s cold down here and the air is stale, are we the first people to set foot in here since before the war?”

Piper followed Curie and Nick, Nick was crouched over the skeletal remains of what looked to be a scientist, Piper turned around and stomped on a Radroach as it appeared. She crouched by another body and pulled the intact Pip-boy from its wrist, tucking it into a small pack she was carrying and activating her recorder again.

“Multiple dead in the entryway, Nicks detective skills say that they were perhaps shot. I dunno what to think, the fact that these people died in here when they were supposed to be protected is unsettling. Looking at them though, it’s looking like they have been dead a while”

Piper stood and turned following Nick and Curie, they got to a sealed door after they took out a few more Radroaches that had found their way in. Nick managed to activate the panel but got short circuited and stood there babbling to himself as his systems rebooted.

Curie sat down at the terminal and began researching the vault as this was clearly the Overseers office, the man himself appeared to be dead in his chair, Curie had delicately pulled him free and stood the chair up so she could use the terminal. Piper went into the back room and looked around finding nothing and then went to the cage nearby activating her recorder.

“There’s a small cage, looks like an armoury” Piper crouched near a shelf and picked up a box “A box that used to contain ten mil rounds, there also a pistol here, looks to be in working order” she stood and looked at the container mounted to the wall “There also a wall mounted box, looks frozen, some sort of weapon in there, no idea what it is for”

“That is a Cryogenic gun” came Curies voice “The Overseer seems to have made it”

“Some form of Freezing gun, no idea what this is doing in a vault” Piper added to the recording confirming what Curies voice had added to her tape then turned back to her friend who looked distraught at what she was currently reading, Piper listened while Curie read out some of the entries and the vaults purpose became clear, Piper went and sat down on the former Overseers bed feeling sick to her stomach, Nick had since recovered and Curie was explaining the vault to him, Piper pulled her recorder from her pocket and loaded a new tape before beginning.

“Vault one-eleven” she sighed “Where do I begin? Vault Tec it seemed wanted to test cryogenic freezing on the dwellers of this facility. In the midst of the chaos from the bombs dropping all the occupants were brought into the vault” she rubbed her eyes as tears threatened to come out “Come on Piper, get a hold of yourself” she took some deep breathes “The bombs were dropped above making the Commonwealth we know today, but these people, these everyday pre-war civilians were brought in here for safety but used in an experiment. The were lead to believe that they were being decontaminated from the radiation, like our Rad-Away shots, but instead they were frozen and they didn’t even know” Pipers voice got hollow “That’s not all, they were not allowed to be released until they received an all clear signal from Vault Tec” Piper sighed sadly “A signal that never came, they are still down here, all of them still frozen over two hundred years later, and they don’t even know what happened, they don’t know that their world is gone, their families and friends, everything they have ever known taken away” she cried now and started to bite her lip as memories of her fathers death came to the surface, she didn’t know how long she was sat there lost in thought until she heard a voice.

“Piper, we got the other door open” Nick called, Piper looked at her recorder realising she still was holding the record button, she sighed and pulled out the now full tape and slid another new tape in before putting it in her pocket, she wiped her eyes before she left the room, _these poor people,_ she thought as she went to Nick and Curie.

In the first room Pipers heart broke, twelve people all frozen in pods. Nick went to the terminal that all the pods wiring ran to and Curie inspected on of the pods themselves. Piper walked up to one and brought out her recorder and turned it on to speak but Nick was first a few moments after she hit record.

“They are all dead” the Synth said.

“What” Piper asked looking from the pod to Nick not bothering to move her finger to stop the recording.

“Asphyxiation” Nick replied looking around the room “All of them robbed of the air they needed to live and refrozen”

“But how is that possible, they are in stasis” Curie supplied her voice soft and raw with emotion as she came to terms with the fact they were standing in a graveyard, not a vault.

Piper wanted to be sick, she raised her free hand to her mouth keeping her finger on the record button, she forced herself to swallow the bile that arose in her mouth and looked to Nick who was typing on the terminal, his cybernetic features low in a mirror of human emotion, he was just as upset as his two companions.

“The pods were never opened” Nick replied “There was a malfunction, the Cyro deactivated and the computers drained all the contents as they were programmed” Nick pursed his lips as if thinking, then he blinked at the terminal “They missed a step, they never opened to release their occupants like they were designed to do” Nick stepped back and looked at Curie and Piper “Then the systems reactivated and froze their bodies” the Synth rubbed his eyes , Piper knew he couldn’t cry but she also knew he had pre-war memories, so his emotions were real even if his body couldn’t physically be upset, it would still mirror that emotion mentally “It says there are more rooms, we have to check them” Nick moved on and Piper and Curie followed neither of them looking into the pods.

“Someone must be alive” Curie said “We have to find them”

“We will Curie” Piper said stopping the recording and pulling a bottle of water from her pack to wash the taste away, she offered one to Curie who took it and  drank a little but most went into her hands and onto her face, Piper wanted to plunge her head in a bucket let alone pour water onto it.

They ventured forward Piper using her recorder as they checked the further rooms.

“The vault once designed for protection has since become the grave of forty people and sadly that count is rising. Nick has a theory that the pods malfunctioned and killed their occupants accidently. I however think its too clean. To me this screams Institute” she paused and thought, could she use this story? To her the answer was simple, who could do this and get away with it, more importantly with no one knowing who did it. The Institute. “The boogeymen of the Commonwealth have always operated in mysterious ways, they have been know to raise settlements to the ground, our people vanish without a trace or are replaced with Synths” she pauses “Is it so hard to believe that if they wanted to devastate a vault they could”

Nick sighed “Piper” Piper looked at him and stopped recording “Now really isn’t the time for conspiracy theories”

“Nick, you cant be serious” Piper replied, all Nick did was point to the room ahead, eight more pods and Curie stood near some gazing slowly between them looking distraught, and suddenly Piper remembered where she was and what they had just seen.

Nick went to the terminal and booted it up, he tilted his head.

“A Sole Survivor” Nick said “Piper its the second from the bottom on the left”

Piper made her way past Curie who was crouched near some of the ice cold tubing inspecting it. As she neared she looked in and saw a sad looking women who looked close to tears. She was dark skinned with pale grey eyes, long hair a brownish red, her hand was touching the glass.

“Who is she?” Piper called back to Nick.

“System says, Stephanie Bailey” Nick replies “Can you see into the pod behind you?”

Piper turned and let out a startled cry “Oh my god!” she exclaimed “He’s been shot”

Nick quickly abandoned the terminal and came running forward stopping at her side, Curie also had wandered over, Nick used a small console next to the pod and unlike all their previous attempts on the many pods in the vault it was not an error noise that greeted them but the low sound of the pod defrosting and opening a few moments later.

Cold air engulfed them and Piper shivered as did Curie, Nick unaffected looked at the occupant.

“Nathan Bailey” he said “I don’t see Shawn, the boy that’s supposed to be with him” he turned “Stephanie Bailey has not only lost her husband but her son”

“We have to get her out Nick” Piper said.

“She is like me, trapped, we have to free her” Curie said not a second later “Please” she pleaded.

“Piper you stay in front of the pod, she should see a friendly face” Nick said moving to the controls beside the women’s pod “Curie I need you to keep an eye on her, we have no idea how she will react”

Nick moved his hat lower over his brow so his face was more shadowed and pulled his tie up so that his shirt collar covered some of his exposed neck. He managed to get the pod open then stepped back into the shadows his uncovered hand finding its way into the pocket of his coat.

Piper caught the women as she fell forward coughing and gasping for breath, but she quickly was pushed away by the dark skinned dweller, Piper saw fear in the women’s eyes, she watched as the dweller looked around the room, she could see her breath and that she was shivering.

“S-stay away” Stephanie said her voice soft but the fear evident, she backed away from them her eyes finding Nathans pod, a tear ran down her cheek and she began breathing heavily looking between the three of them, Curie stepped next to Piper and Nick between them keeping his body hidden and his face in shadow.

“Mrs Bailey, please be calm” Nick said “We mean you no harm”

“That’s what the others said before the shot Nate” Stephanie said her breathing not slowing, Curie stepped forward, Piper didn’t need Curies medical training to know that if the dweller continued she would pass out, as Curie neared that’s when it all went wrong.

Stephanie grabbed Curie spinning her around causing the Doctor to scream when she was startled, the dweller wrapped her right arm around Curies throat the left moving behind Curies back then bringing up a snub nosed revolver, Curies snub nosed revolver that Stephanie must have noticed tucked into the back of the Doctors jeans, and pressed it into Curies temple.

There was no fear in those eyes now, just a cold determination. This women was unlike any Piper had seen, in one moment she was the grieving widow, the next... she didn’t even know how to describe what she was seeing.

“Your weapons, on the floor now” Stephanie said pulling the hammer of Curies revolver back so it was ready to fire, he voice void of any emotion.

“We are unarmed” Nick tried.

“Bullshit” Stephanie replied “She was armed so you must be” Piper saw a tear run down Curies cheek and the fear in her friends face, this was the first time Curie was completely defenceless since she became human and Piper knew it was a frightful experience from her own past, without thinking she grabbed Nick and pulled the Revolver from the holster under his arm and dropped it, she then moved her right hand to grab the pistol in her thigh holster under her own coat.

“No, Your left hand” Stephanie said, Piper complied and admitted it was a good move, Piper knew she had no hope of using her left  hand to fire her pistol and it seemed the dweller had noticed she was right handed already. Piper reached to her thigh and pulled the pistol out of its holster and dropped it near Nicks revolver then kicked them towards the vault dweller on her command, at that moment she released Curie and brought her gun into a two handed grip. Piper pulled Curie into a hug and whispered to her that she would be okay to which her friend nodded.

“How long has it been?” Stephanie asked. Nick stepped forward and flicked his hat up, showing his face.

“Around two hundred years” he drawled.

“Okay” Stephanie said he eyes slightly wider but her grip and stance didn’t falter, Piper instantly knew she must have been a pre-war solider of some kind to have this amount of discipline “A robot man”

“Synth” Nick replied “Why don’t you lower the gun and we can talk this out”

“Not happening” Stephanie said “Why on earth should I trust you?”

“I’m more thinking why we should trust you Mrs Bailey” Nick replied “Your file in the vault says Lawyer, but I don’t know how a Lawyer could do what you just did” The vault dweller sighed and took a breath lowering the gun but she kept it ready to use, non of them risked moving.

“Major Stephanie Quinn, United States Military” the vault dweller said softly “Identification Number three-three-seven-five, tasked with infiltration and espionage, Nate and I were undercover”

“You’re a spy?” Piper said somewhat shocked she had heard rumors about pre-war spies but had never believed them.

“In a manner of speaking” Stephanie replied “I guess it doesn’t matter now if you learn the truth, since I’m guessing there wasn’t a winner in the war”

“Non, everything was destroyed, our world is the ruins of yours” Nick replied, Stephanie looked at them her hands played with the gun for a few moments but Piper, Nick and Curie were focused on her face, Piper only noticed she was fiddling with the gun when she threw it to Nick.

“Then I guess you might as well kill me” Stephanie said he hand clenched into fists at her side and her back straight “There’s nothing left for me here” the vault dweller lowered her head waiting “I’ve killed many people under the illusion it was for my country, a country that no longer exists, and the only people I care for are long since dead”

“No” Nick said and dropped the gun with the others “Your son is out there somewhere and I’ll be damned if I rob him of his mother”

Piper looked at Nick, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing, this women who had nearly killed them was now arming them against herself, giving them permission to end her life for all that she had done, Piper had to admit, this women intrigued her.

“Good Answer” Stephanie replied and Piper watched with Curie as she opened her fist and six bullets fell to the floor.


	2. Onwards to DC.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group make their way to Diamond City for the next step in their adventure.

Nick looked at his sleeping companions when he returned with more firewood, Piper was curled up under her coat on top of a sleeping bag she had brought with her, not realising until it was too late, that the zip was broken and the thing was sealed shut and not sleeping until she had very vocally voiced her displeasure. Curie was on her back with a blanket covering her and was asleep on top of the vault door, next to her was just a blanket left where the Vault Dweller should have been sleeping, upon noticing her absence he pondered where she could be. He crouched and placed the wood down softly and walked past Curie and Piper towards the fallen fence.

He saw the glow of a cigarette and the flickering of a lighter flame, which kept appearing and disappearing with soft clicking sounds. He approached slowly and lowered himself to sit next to her, he waited not speaking. The dark skinned women continued playing with the lighter for a few moments before taking the final drag from her cigarette she flicked what left it away and blew out the smoke with a sigh.

“I always hated these things” Stephanie said “But Nate always smoked them when he was stressed, only when he was stressed.”

“You are stressed?” Nick asked.

“No” Stephanie replied “When I went to sleep, I hoped that when I woke up, all this would have been a dream” she sighed “But it wasn’t, I found these in the locker where I got my coat, I was going to give them Piper”

“How are you really?” Nick said “You should not be this calm”

“I am far from calm Mr Valentine” Stephanie replied “Being a soldier prepares you for death, it is a part of our duty but this, everything I have ever known is gone, my friends and _family_ ” she nearly choked on the last word. “Oh god! My sister” Stephanie’s head fell forward into her hands and Nick heard her sob, he placed a hand on her back “She’s dead” Stephanie said quietly.

*****

Piper woke up and after a few moments of blinking at the morning sky she sat up stretching, she shivered once her jacket slipped off her and her bare arms were exposed to the elements, she pulled on her coat and her scarf, which she had been using as a pillow, as she looked around, Curie was still asleep under her blanket, Piper stood slowly and rolled up her sleeping bag silently cursing the thing.

She saw the small pile of Firewood next and looked around for Nick, she noticed the gap in the fence and the beige coat of the detective beyond it, she walked over and saw Nick with a sleeping Vault Dweller in his lap, and she lowered herself down and sat by him.

“What happened?” Piper asked.

“She had a breakdown” Nick replied in a low tone “It is to be expected really, she mourned the loss of her sister, I told her about Ghouls and gave her some hope of seeing her again”

“Good Ol’’ Nicky” Piper smirked.

“HaHa Piper” Nick replied dryly and slightly louder when Stephanie didn’t stir as Piper spoke  “She also wants to go after Shawn”

“Shawn?” Piper said in confusion then her brain caught up “Her son?”

“He isn’t her son” Nick replied and Piper raised a brow “He was Nates, he is now orphaned, Stephanie is the child’s step mother, it’s a long story"

“We have to help her Nick” Piper said “If anyone can, it’s you”

“Could be my hardest case” Nick replied, he looked down at the Dweller and then back at Curie probably to see if she was still asleep, he must have seen her moving as he lowered his voice to a whisper “I think you were right” he said “The only people I can think of who could get in that vault and take a child from the parents is the Institute”

“Then we prove it” Piper said in a matching tone “We help her get her kid and stop the bogeymen while we’re at it”

“Sounds like a plan” Nick smiled he gave her a pack of cigarettes “Stephanie wanted to give you these”

Piper smiled and took them, noticing that they were pristine save for the one missing, she assumed Nick had taken one.

*****

When Stephanie and Curie were ready they walked down towards Sanctuary, the Vault Dweller walked ahead of the others, she had the spare 10mm sticking out of the pocket of the dark blue coat she had acquired and was wearing over her vault suit.

Once they neared the village Stephanie stopped and sighed as she looked around, Piper had been born into this world so she had no idea what Stephanie was feeling, but she imagined it would be similar to when she herself lost her father.

“As I live and breathe” came a voice and Piper frowned, it was the annoying robot “It’s really you!”

“Codsworth!?!” Stephanie said shocked.

“Miss Stephanie!” Codsworth said “Will Sir and young Shawn be joining us for dinner? You are somewhat two hundred years overdue”

“Shawn is missing Codsworth and Nate is... in a better place” she took a deep breath ”He’s in a better place” Stephanie then trailed off for a few moments “Have you seen anything unusual since I left?” he voice was different now, more assertive and less hesitant in regards to the new world.

“No, Mum” Codsworth replied “Nothing I can recall of worth, however I have received a few dings since we last saw each other” the Mister Handy gave a synthesized chuckle.

“Okay” Stephanie sighed “Codsworth. Override code, Two, Two, Yankee, Seven. Recognise user voice print.”

“Major Stephanie Elizabeth Quinn, United States Military” Codsworth said “Orders Ma’am” the robots voice was now more in line with the Mister Gutsy models that Piper had seen in her travels.

“Status of supply caches around Sanctuary?”

“Three and Seven remain” Codsworth replied.

“Offline and restore primary functions in three hours” Stephanie said and with that the Mister Handy shut down.

Piper looked at Nick and then to Curie. Curie was naturally confused, Nick seemed unfazed by what had just occurred and Piper had so many questions but the Vault Dweller had entered the blue house. Piper followed her in and stopped dead in her tracks, the table was still set for a meal like so many other pre-war houses, a magazine left on the counter next to a coffee cup, several baby bottles were next to the sink and notes were still fixed to the fridge.

None of those were the reason she stopped. It was the picture on the wall. Stephanie and another women who looked just like her with their arms around each other’s shoulders posed for the camera all smiles and peace signs, happy siblings. It was faded and damaged but it was definitely Stephanie and her sister. This was her house.

Nick followed behind and gave a soft “Oh” whereas Curie commented equally as softly “This is so sad, my heart it hurts”

There was a rustling noise from a room down the hall, Piper followed it and her eyes were drawn to the right side of the corridor, an abandoned crib stood, with toys scattered around the room that had seen better days, there was a teddy bear that was face down on the floor near a chair, she walked in and picked it up.

“Mr Bear” came a soft voice, Pipers head shot up and she nearly let the bear go. Stephanie stood before her a few changes to her attire, she still wore the vault suit and the coat, however the coat was now sleeveless and had been belted closed around her hip, she had several small blades strapped to her thigh and a small pistol in a holster just above them, there was a bandana tied around her neck, she had also donned a pair of combat boots with a knife tucked into the left one. This women now screamed Mercenary and no longer vulnerable Vault Dweller.

“Do you want him?” Piper said, she cursed herself inside but that didn’t stop her from holding out the bear, the Vault Dweller took it and held it in her hands looking at his small head, the sadness in her eyes made Piper want to reach out and hug the women before her, anything to stop that look, the Dweller turned and went back into the room, Piper followed and saw Stephanie lift up some of the floor boards, that explained the noises earlier, there were a series of footlockers underneath and she watched as the bear was tucked inside one and sealed away.

Once outside Piper saw Curie and Nick talking about heading for Diamond City. Piper agreed they should go back to Nicks office and work out how to find Stephanie’s son. Stephanie walked straight past them and down towards the bridge leading out of Sanctuary. But she stopped near a mailbox, laid down on her back and slid underneath it, Piper approached followed by Nick and Curie.

“Uh, Blue?” Piper asked “”What ya’ doing”

“Cache Seven” Stephanie replied, there was a click and she slid out holding a box around the same size as the base of the mailbox itself. When Stephanie opened it inside was a series of weapon parts and three hand grenades.

“You were prepared” Nick said “Most people would kill for a gun like that”

“But it’s broken” Piper said raising a brow.

“Disassembled” Nick said as Stephanie’s hands picked up various parts and began fixing the together, Piper watched in amazement as the parts became a sniper rifle, the Vault Dweller held it up to her eye and made a series of adjustments to the scope, and then she attached the strap and slung it over her shoulder.

“Okay” she said picking up the grenades and fixing them to her belt “Where do we go?”

“We should head back to Diamond City” Nick replied “My office is there and we can work your case and try to figure out where to go from there”

“Sounds like a plan” she tilted her head to the side “Diamond City? Oh, do mean the stadium?”

“You got it” Piper said with a smile “The Great Green Jewel”

They headed out shortly after heading towards the small town of Concord, Stephanie looked around as they walked, her face bearing a grim expression as she saw her world in ruins. When they neared the ruins they saw a dead Brahmin, Stephanie gasped since it had two heads which unfortunately attracted the attention of the Blood Bugs that were feeding on it. Before they could react Stephanie had her pistol in her hand and two well placed shots ended the bugs with ease, she put the gun ejected the magazine and reached into her pocket pulling out a couple of spare bullets to replace the two she used, once finished she put the gun back in its holster and looked at Piper and the others.

“What?” she said.

“Nice shots Blue” Piper said with a smile.

“Blue?” Stephanie replied.

“Your Jumpsuit, I don’t know if you noticed but its bright blue” Stephanie looked down and seemed to be surprised.

“I’m colour blind” she replied “I thought it was Green and purple, maybe?” she seemed puzzled.

“Tritanopia” Nick replied “We should take about this later”

There was a gunshot and Piper looked at Stephanie as she raised her hand to her shoulder, Curie and Nick shot down the raider that had approached, Piper moved to Stephanie and moved her hand, thankfully the bullet had gone straight through.

“I’ll be fine” Stephanie replied “I just need a stimpak and some bandages.”

“You’ve just been shot!” Piper argued “You need stitches.”

“I am aware” Stephanie snarled back, she looked at Curie as she approached with a stimpak, bandages and a smile.

“Thank you” Stephanie said and Piper glared at her before heading to the raider that Nick was inspecting.

“There are more ahead” Nick said as she neared and Piper could hear the distant gunfire, Stephanie and Curie walked up, the former kicking the dead raider for good measure and muttered the word ‘bastard’.

Piper eyed her arm which was bandaged tightly and Curie nodded to her symbolising she had done all she could. They ventured on with Nick and Stephanie in the lead. As they neared the centre of town they saw several raiders shooting at a man with a laser rifle on a balcony a few floors above. One of the raiders ducked behind a low wall and turned their way while she reloaded and called to the others when she saw them. The man above took the chance to pull back and go through the door behind him.

Stephanie ran and slid behind a red truck part way down the road pulling her pistol out when her back was pressed against it, Nick had grabbed Curie and pulled her into a nearby doorway, Piper dived and ended up next to Stephanie.

The Vault Dweller leaned out for second and a just after she pulled back a bullet dinged of the front of the truck. Piper saw her look over to Nick and make a few hand gestures, to which Nick nodded sliding his back down the wall and crawling along the floor so he was behind the car opposite them. Stephanie holstered her pistol and took one of the grenades of her belt, her finger on the pin.

“Come out Girly” one of the raiders called “We promise we won’ hurt ya’”

“Where’s the fun then Pike?” a female called.

“Shut it Jax” the first raider snapped “All we want is ya’ stuff, give it and ya’ can go”

Stephanie changed her mind chucked the grenade to Piper and stood her pistol coming into her hand again and aiming at one of the raiders, Piper watched as the women faced the raiders with no fear.

“Does that include a bullet from this gun?” Stephanie said coldly “Because I could hit you from here”

“Bullshit , not with that peashooter” The male, Pike, replied, Stephanie pulled the trigger and the shot was followed by a thud “FUCK! JAX!”

“If you want my weapons” Stephanie said calmly, Piper saw no emotion on her face “You will receive the bullets first”

“I’ll gut ya like a radstag!” Pike snarled, Stephanie fired again and Piper heard a scream followed by a thud and some cursing and then Stephanie fired again silencing the cries.

“I have nine bullets left in this gun” Stephanie said “There are three of you left, two of which are too frightened to move and the third being you” Stephanie blinked and there was silence “Drop your guns, your ammo and your molotovs”

“Fuck you” Pike snarled and Stephanie dropped back behind the car as he opened fire “Come out ya’ bitch”

“I gave you the chance to walk away” she called back taking the Grenade from Piper, she looked like she was about to use it and then looked at the grenade before clasping it in her hand and looking over to Nick and Curie, Piper followed her gaze. Nick was laying on his stomach his gun under the car pointing at the raiders while Curie remained in the doorway, Stephanie nodded to him and Nick fired a series of shots as Stephanie peaked around and fired a shot over the screams. She then stood and walked over to them as Nick finished shooting, Piper saw him stand and begin reloading his gun as he walked behind the Vault Dweller, Piper followed with Curie close behind.

“Who are these guys?” Stephanie asked as Pike reached for his gun, Stephanie simply stomped on his hand causing him to howl and kicked the gun across the ground to the other side of the street.

“Raiders” Piper said as she saw Nick check to make sure the other two raiders were dead “They kill, steal and pillage”

Stephanie crouched down and looked Pike in the eyes “I used to fight scum like you every day, except that was in a war” she showed him the grenade “This is an infantry grenade, even this is capable of crippling a tank if placed right or shredding a suit of power armour”

“Fuck you” Pike said and Stephanie hit him across the face with the grenade to which he grunted.

“You see War makes monsters of us all” Stephanie grabbed his jacket with her free hand and pulled him up as she placed the grenade on the ground and then put her other hand on his shoulder near a gunshot wound. “I‘ve killed politicians, destroyed munitions factories and done a great many things that I regret” she pushed her thumb into the wound on his shoulder causing him to howl and wither in pain “But killing your friends isn’t one of them, my son is out here somewhere and a group of drugged up jackasses with handmade guns and armour made from fucking tin cans and wood isn’t going to stop me”

“When Gristle gets ‘ere, you gonna die bitch” Pike said over the pain a grin on his face.

“Well done Mister Pike” Stephanie said “You told me exactly what I wanted to know”

“Wha...” Pike began but Stephanie brought her fist into his chin, there was a crack as his jaw broke and his head fell back, she let him go and began undoing the straps on his armour.

“Nick, can you get the straps off the armour on the others?” Nick nodded and walked to the nearest raider and began un-strapping the armour she had been wearing.

“Blue?” Piper asked confused as the Vault Dweller pulled the dirty bandana from around Pikes neck.

“His friends are coming Piper” Stephanie replied “Pike here is going to help us deal with them”

“What, how?” Piper asked as the Vault Dweller opened Pikes mouth and pushed the grenade in, she then tied the bandana around the man’s face covering his mouth “What the hell Blue!”

“Before the war I wasn’t just a spy” Stephanie said now using his armour straps as makeshift shackles for his legs as Nick came over holding more straps stripped of their armour parts. “I was an assassin. I killed many people Piper, what I told Pike was true. I have done a great many things I am not proud of. I killed in the name of my country, a country that is long gone. Perhaps now I can use those skills to help this world survive.”

Piper didn’t have a response to that. So instead she began helping and soon enough, Pike was strapped to the lamppost on the street corner outside the Museum, a grenade in his mouth hidden under a bandana.

Once they were inside the museum they had made quick work of the few raiders inside considering they unable to shoot straight and had been more focused on getting through the door, which they were currently arguing about, instead of caring for their fellows who had been killed just outside, typical Raider.

Once the Raiders had been dealt with the man who had been on the balcony called out to them from the room they had sealed themselves in, there was the sound of moving furniture and then the door opened. Piper looked at the man, on the balcony he had looked like some kind of soldier now he looked like a mad man, he wore a tri-corner hat and an old fashioned waistcoat and duster jacket that looked as though they had been pulled off one of the mannequins in the very museum which they stood and the laser rifle he held had some form of crank fixed to it, surely that can’t be very efficient.

“Preston Garvey” the man began “Commonwealth Minutemen”

“Minutemen?” Stephanie said “Great, now I’ve gone back in time” Piper and Nick chuckled, Preston frowned.

“You are here to help us right?”

“No” Stephanie said simply “We are here to plunder and pillage we are just very bad at it” Stephanie looked at him and scratched her head as if comfused “So can we have your stuff?”

“Very funny” Preston said clearly not amused.

“If you do not want a stupid answer, do not ask a stupid question” Stephanie said and Piper tried to hide her smile. “I’m guessing you have a plan to deal with these nut jobs”

“Yeah” Preston said “You see...”

*****

Piper stood on the balcony to Stephanies left while Preston stood on her right, Nick and Curie were down below waiting behind cover in the reception area in case the Raiders made it in. The Power Armour Preston had found stood behind them and the Minigun from the Vertibird next to it loaded and ready to go. Stephanie had laughed when she saw it and the way she got into it and used it to pull the Minigun from the airship told Piper she had used Power Armour before.

A group of Raiders walked down the street with a butch dark skinned man at the lead, several of the Raiders ran to Pike once they saw him tied to the lamppost.

“Leave him!” the leader called and the Raiders merely stood by their captured comrade as he squirmed and made muffled noises.

Stephanies hand moved as she pulled back the bolt on her sniper rifle to put a round in the chamber. Preston cranked his Laser Musket and Piper drew her 10mm.

“I aren’t scared of ya’ love” Gristle called “Pike was small time, Ya playing with the big boys now darlin’”

Stephanie raised the gun and held it to her eye “Compared to me, you’re all small time”

“Ha, fuck ya’, you ain’t gonna stop us from flaying ya alive. You and ya little friends”

“Surprise Motherfucker” Stephanie called as she fired at Pike.

What happened next shocked Piper. The grenade in the Raiders mouth blew causing chunks of Pike to fly in all directions and the lamppost to fall, one raider unlucky enough to be caught in the blast was crushed by the lamppost as it fell two others were rolling on the floor bleeding and clutching various parts of their bodies, no doubt shrapnel from the lamppost and damage from the explosion itself. The two raiders near Gristle and he himself were covered in blood, gore and dirt. One was in hysterics and Gristle shot him.

“Man up!” Gristle shouted pointing at Stephanie “Get the fuckers!” more Raiders came out of the buildings at the end of the street, as they advanced there was the sound of clanging which Piper couldn’t place.

“Shit” Stephanie said spinning and holding out her rifle “You know how to use this?” she asked over Prestons shots, Piper nodded.

“Yeah, just never one like this”

“Same principle, scope is aligned perfectly and I fired once, you have four rounds left” Piper took the rifle “Pull back the bolt between each shot then once done fill her up with a new clip and go again” Piper nodded again and Stephanie handed her three spare clips and ran past. Piper looked at the gun and checked the chamber, she heard the whirling of mechanics behind her and then the priming of the Minigun.

Stephanie bolted past with the Minigun already spinning and through the gap in the balcony dropping to the floor with a loud thud and the Minigun opening up a few minutes later.

Piper and Preston stuck at range as Stephanie fired controlled bursts from the Minigun protecting the door to the museum.

Gristle attempted to change cover but the Pre-war Soldier found him first and he was shredded in a hail of Minigun rounds, leaderless the Raiders fell into disarray several shouting conflicting orders and curses as another died, Piper quickly used the empty weapon to scout the town, she saw at least seven left, she lowered the rifle just as another series of clanging sounds could be heard.

“Shit” Preston said, Piper looked up and saw the Deathclaw as it roared at the end of the street. The Raiders spun to the sound several started fleeing and some started shooting it, one Raider ran straight towards Stephanie but the Vault Dweller grabbed him with a large metal hand and leaned forward so her helmet was close to his face, Piper was watching and couldn’t hear what she said but the Raider raised his gun and turned and began firing at the Deathclaw as it played a deadly game of catch with its dinner. Piper looked up and opened fire, she hit it once in the shoulder, she was aiming for its head.

“The stomach” Preston said “Aim for the stomach” he called louder.

Stephanies augmented voice rallied the call “Listen here you waste rats! Shoot that fucking lizard or I’ll make sure your still alive when it eats you”

“Do it!” the Raider near her called, and two of the Raiders followed the order the third tried to run but the Raider near Stephanie shot him in the leg causing him to fall.

 Stephanie began advancing slowly firing controlled bursts of the Minigun. The Deathclaw charged forward and grabbed the screaming Raider as his comrades fell back towards their new leader and rallied behind Stephanie.

Nick appeared behind Piper and saw the group below and laughed “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” he lifted up the laser musket he had taken from a dead minuteman and fired at the Deathclaw, as did Preston, Piper looked back down the scope and fired, but the thing would not falter.

The Deathclaw threw the now lifeless body of the Raider aside and charged at Stephanie. One clawed hand struck her hard causing her to stagger, Pipers line of sight blocked as the hulking frame of the creature was hidden behind Stephanie as it leant forward. Stephanie fell and the monster was on top of her the Minigun was knocked aside as the Vault Dwellers arm as struck hard causing the armour plates to break off, Piper heard her scream.

One of the Raiders ran forward and scooped up the Minigun and spun towards the other two and it began spinning, Preston put a blast of laser into his head and his body fell into a pile of dust the Minigun falling uselessly to the floor the other two Raiders fell back into the museum, leaving Stephanie to her fate, Piper, Nick and Preston kept shooting the beast as did the Raiders from the safety of the doorway below. The Beast leaned back bringing the Vault Dweller with it holding her in the claws of one giant hand, the other was brought in a swing across her chest and up to her head, she howled again when the helmet was flung aside. Piper fired at the creatures leg and it staggered from the shot and presumably the weight of the Power Armour.

“The leg!” she called rather loudly to her friends and they followed her lead.

The Deathclaw fell dropping Stephanie who landed badly in a crouch, she stood rather slowly as the beast roared again, the armour opened and she all but fell out and landed on her back, the armour then closed up and the Vault Dweller forced herself to her feet and started moving towards the museum as fast as she could in her weakened state, Piper saw one half of her face covered in blood and that she was clutching her arm.

“The core” She shouted “Scuttle the armour”

Nick pulled the rifle from Pipers grip, put a round in the chamber and brought it to his eye as the Deathclaw stood howling in rage. He fired.

The explosion as the fusion core went up was rather blinding, when Pipers eyes cleared she saw bits of power armour all over the street. The body of the Deathclaw was missing several limbs and was charred to a crisp. Then her gaze landed on the blue figure in the street, unmoving, covered in dust and grime, she had been knocked down by the blast. She saw the Raiders run out and the one Stephanie had spoken with turned her over, he pulled her up onto his shoulders and the other raider started saying something that Piper couldn’t make out to which the first ignored and carried her into the Museum. Piper turned and ran inside, she hopped down to the lower floor through the broken railings then ran down the steps threw the metal gate open, she ran into the atrium as the Raider lowered Stephanie onto the bench.

“She’s alive” the Raider said.

“The fuck we care” the other raider said and the first one spun to him.

“She just saved our fucking lives” he snapped “Fuck the raiders and fuck you” the man plunged his rusty blade into the others neck. The second Raider fell back gagging and gasping as he choked on his blood, and then he fell lifelessly to the floor.

Piper ignored it, he focus purely on Stephanie. She looked at her face and claw mark in her cheek that also cut into her eyebrow, it was clear it would scar. Stephanies eyes shot open.

“Erika” she said grabbing Pipers wrist before her eyes narrowed and she realised who she was taking too, the Vault Dweller let go and leaned back her gaze fell to the ceiling, it was then that Piper noticed she was trembling, from the pain or some emotions she was trying to hide Piper didn’t dare guess, this Vault Dweller was already a riddle, the Reporter wasn’t about to make it even more complex, well if she could manage it, Piper took her hand and when Stephanie looked at her she smiled, the Vault Dweller bit her lip and looked back at the ceiling, Piper felt a little saddened and then her mind picked up on something. Who was Erika?

Curie came running over at the point holding a bottle of water and a Stimpak. Curie quickly poured the purified water over Stephanies cheek to wash the grime and drying blood away. She then asked Stephanie to look at her and Curie began checking her eye.

“The wound will most likely scar, though the severity of which can be reduced if we get it closed up and healing sooner rather than later” Curie poured more water over the length and the claw mark and put the bottle down gently before administering the Stimpak in Stephanies cheek. “The eye is luckily undamaged”

Curie then began checking over the rest of her body as Piper watched, she felt sick. The Pre-war soldier that had faced a creature of nightmares to save a group of people she hardly knew, that didn’t much sound like a monster to her. Stephanie had titled herself as such but the only monstrous thing she had done had been making Pike a walking bomb, but Pike was a Raider and had mostly likely done terrible things, he probably deserved it. The thing was Piper could remember reading books on Pre-war history and she recalled groups in them who would use their enemies as weapons, she had also heard of a group called the Legion or something similar over in New Vegas. They had at one point put their captured NCR soldiers on landmines which caused a similar result.

She looked at Stephanie in a new light after that, she tried to minimise casualties, in that one shot, she showed the Raiders they weren’t untouchable. She looked over her shoulder at the Raider who had brought Stephanie inside, he had a look of genuine concern on his face, and couldn’t have been more than eighteen years old.

“We need to get her to Diamond City” Curie said turning to Piper as Nick and Preston came down followed by the other settlers.

“Yeah” Nick called over as he approached “We need to get her to Doc Sun”

“I’m going to take the others to Sanctuary” Preston said “Nick told us it should be clear and about the robot. Sounds like a good place for a new start”

“Can I come?” the Raider asked “I could do with a new start, I’ll do anything, I’ll help guard or farm or even just carry things for you” he looked at his feet “I have nowhere else to go”

“What’s your name?” Piper asked.

“They called me Titch” the Raider said “As I was smaller than them. But my name is Anthony”

“Preston, take Anthony with you” Nick said “Do what you will with him”

“If she trusted him” Preston nodded to Stephanie “I will try, but that doesn’t mean you are getting a gun anytime soon, unless we are attacked that is”

“Okay” Anthony offered his gun to Preston without prompting.

Over the next hour, Preston and the others made their way to Sanctuary Hills, while Curie, Piper and Nick administered Stimpaks and bandaged Stephanie up the best they could manage with what they had. Piper and Curie carried the injured Vault Dweller between them as the poor women hobbled along on her damaged ankle. Nick went on ahead leading them towards DC, Stephanies rifle ready to use in his synthetic hands.

Piper thought on the Raider Anthony as they walked, she had asked what Stephanie said to him and he had told her, now Stephanies words were running through her head.

_You cannot change the past, but every moment is an opportunity change your future._

The Raider has chosen to fight at her side and defend the settlers he had previously tried to kill. If he truely was capable of change then what was Piper capable of, what was her future? She couldn’t be the nosy reporter for the rest of her life? Or could she? She had Nat to think about, her sister wanted to follow in Pipers footsteps and that scared the Reporter. It truly did.

As they passed through Cambridge Piper looked over to the ruins as the sounds of gunfire filled the streets. She saw several dead Raiders torn apart and scattered around nearby the streets. Ferals.

“Nick” She said “Ferals”

“We should be okay” Nick said as they walked along the outskirts “Hopefully they will be attracted to the gunfire, probably the other Raiders”

“What’s a Feral?” Stephanie asked, her voice was quiet and both Piper and Curie looked at her, she was deathly pale. Piper saw blood on her vault suit and coat, it was fresh and still wet, she was starting to lose blood again.

“Monsieur Valentine” Curie said “We must make haste, Madame Quinn is not in the best condition”

Nick looked back and he seemed to focus on Stephanie, he nodded after a few moments and they fell silent, Stephanie had begun to get heavier due to her moving less as she got weaker so Curie and Piper struggled along behind Nick. They managed to make it over the bridge past the boat wreckage where Raiders had set up camp without alerting those below.

On the outskirts of Diamond City some of the guards in their signature baseball armour were holding back a pack of mutants, Nick fired a few rounds of Stephanies rifle as Curie and Piper carried the Vault Dweller past. Once they made it to the gate it was sealed shut which was unusual in itself, Piper assumed that it was because of the Mutants but it wasn’t until she activated the intercom to security did she realise that it was because she was on her way back.

“Open the goddamn gate Danny Sullivan”

“Sorry Miss Piper” Danny replied “The mayor says not to let you in”

“What the hell Danny!” Piper bellowed “I live here you can’t just turf me out!”

“Sorry Miss Piper, but the Mayor is really steaming about that Article in the paper.” Came Dannys reply “People are scared”

“Ooooo, it’s the scary reporter, boo!” Piper said sarcastically rolling her eyes.

Curie looked at Stephanie and said her name softly, but the Vault Dweller didn’t respond, Piper looked over and saw that her eyes were closed.

“I have an injured women out here Danny” Piper said as she turned back.

“I can’t let you in Piper, Mayors Orders”

“Do you want to be responsible for a death at the gates of DC!” Piper called.

“No, of course not, but the Mayor says...” Piper cut him off.

“Death at the Gates. Women dies of blood loss at the Gates of our Great Green Jewel. But can we really call it that now that Jewel is stained red with the blood of an innocent”

“Piper, I can’t”

“Open the fucking gate!” Piper said as Stephanie started to fall forward as she finally lost consciousness “We need to get her to Doctor Sun now” Piper saw Nick come running over as Danny continued to say no.

“Danny Sullivan, open up right now” Nick said.

“Mister Valentine?” Danny replied in shock.

“Open. The. Gate.” Nick snarled each word. The gate began opening. Nick grabbed Stephanies head and lifted it up, Piper watched as Nick relieved Curie and told her to run to Doctor Sun, which the synth did.

Together Piper and Nick carried her past the Mayor who did naught but raise his brow. Piper well and truly hated that man, but what she hated more was the fact they were dragging Stephanie, her feet unmoving and her boots scraping along the floor.

Doctor Sun was waiting outside Pipers office with Curie, so Nick and Piper took the hint and carried the Vault Dweller in, Nat had already cleared the couch of all her things which were now scattered across the floor, once Stephanie was laying down Doctor Sun pushed past and began examining her.

In the end the Vault Dweller had a nasty claw mark on her cheek that would scar, bruising to her ribs, blood loss from her shoulder wound which had now been stitched along with the claw mark. She seemingly also had a fractured ankle, Sun had said that if not for the power armour she would most likely have been cleaved in two, which had caused Curie to gasp and Pipers heart to sink. Nick had paid Doc Suns bill.

Piper sat on the arm of the couch at the bottom end and watched the now sleeping Vault Dweller. She was beautiful Piper had to admit, even with half if her face covered in bandages. But for Piper it was the voice, she loved that voice, soft and delicate mostly but harsh and commanding when it needed to be, but she loved more the way she spoke. The way that no accent she had heard quite fit, that she couldn’t be likened to anyone she knew. She spoke like everyone and anyone, yet she spoke like no one, she was unique and to Piper that was worth nearly getting kicked out of DC for, to meet this wonderful new person.

She felt that Stephanie could do great things for the Commonwealth. But there was more to it than that, she was sure but Piper couldn’t put her finger on why. The most pressing question on the Reporters mind at the moment was:

Who is Erika and why did Stephanie think Piper was her? Could that be her Sisters name? No Piper dismissed that, she and Stephanie looked nothing like each other she would never have confused Piper for her twin. She decided not to think about it as she stifled a yawn, she looked over at the makeshift coffee machine that she and Nat had barely got working. She really should sleep.

A few minutes later Piper found herself making what passed as coffee in the wasteland, it wasn’t nice and no doubt was nothing like its Pre-war counterpart, but then again what was? She made one cup for herself and another for Curie who seemed to be observing Stephanie for anything that would warrant her attention.

She walked over and sat on the floor next to Curie and gave her the cup that still had a handle and kept the broken one for herself, she wouldn’t admit it but she preferred that cup as she could wrap her hands all the way around and keep them warm.

They talked for a few hours regarding their plans to assist their new friend and wondered where Nick had vanished to as neither of them had seen him for hours. She didn’t know when she fell asleep, but she knew when she woke up she could hear a soft chuckling.

Piper opened her eyes slowly and realised she had fallen asleep with her head on Curies shoulder, Curie herself appeared to still be asleep leaning against the arm of the couch. The chuckle seems to have come from Stephanie and sure enough the Vault Dweller was looking at her with a goofy smile, that the bandages covering one side of her face did no justice too.

“Good Morning” Stephanie said and Piper couldn’t agree more, that voice being the first she heard, she wished it could be like that every day, then her sleepy head brought forth a barrage of thoughts she shouldn’t think about and she tried in vain to hide her blush and evidently failed as the Dweller laughed again, and that was simply music.

It was going to be a long couple of days while Stephanie healed up enough for travel.


	3. Kellogg.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stephanie finds Kellogg.

Being outside Diamond City again was strange. Piper had not left for around a month now, firstly it was while Stephanie recovered but after that, Stephanie had been working with Nick while they waited for Doctor Sun to declare she was safe to travel. Nick helped Stephanie to put together her memories from her time in the vault to try to figure out what happened to her son.

In the end it had lead them to a man called Kellogg who used to have an apartment in the city, after several failed attempts to both convince the mayor to release the key and get inside themselves Stephanie had gone into a rage and shot the lock. Nick had managed to persuade Diamond City Security that it was an accidental discharge and that the residents were safe, but Stephanie was still placed under arrest.

Piper and Nick had explored Kelloggs apartment after Stephanie was escorted to a cell for the night. The home was rather clean and seemed barren but it had its secrets and one of which was a room hidden behind the wall. In the room, they had come across several different items that were rare in the post war world and as Nick pointed out, they could be tracked easily if they had the correct means.

The day following Doctor Sun clearing Stephanie for travel outside the walls they had left Diamond City and Nick had left to find a friend. He had told them he would be back in the next hour so Piper and Stephanie explored around the area outside the city. Piper was also learning a bit about both the living Pre-war relic and her world

“Yeah, my sister used to live around here” Stephanie continued, “She used to be able to see into the stadium from her apartment” she pointed “That building there”

“Ah” Piper said, “Yeah, Raiders took over that building a while ago”

“Bastards” Stephanie said.

As they wandered, they ran across a woman who was calling for help. Piper went over to her followed by Stephanie who seemed to be keeping some distance from her and looking around.

“My friend” the women said, “She’s trapped inside, please you have to help”

“We’ll do what we can” Piper said and looked back to Stephanie who raised her scarred brow but nodded.

They entered Hardware Town and all Piper could see was shelves, they moved around them into the clearing that would have been the shop floor. The counter at the back of the room remained abandoned like every other pre-war store. The store’s inventory that had not been looted was scattered everywhere. The women called to them from ahead as she neared a door marked ‘staff only’ and directed them to follow her inside.  As Piper neared the counter, a hand seized her wrist and pulled her into towards some shelving in the corner.

“Wh...” Piper tried to speak to demand and answer from Stephanie but the Vault Dweller just covered her mouth with one hand and placed a finger on her free hand to her own lips. Piper rolled her eyes and nodded. Stephanie moved her hand and pulled Piper further back into the shadows.

“Well where are they?” came a male voice “I told you to bring them in through the back”

Raiders. How had Stephanie known?

“Dammit” the Raider called again, “We better go find them”

The Raiders came out with their weapons drawn and talked among themselves and called out to Piper and Stephanie promising not to hurt them. Piper looked at her companion and saw that she had her suppressed pistol in her hand, Stephanie nodded to the counter and pointed at Piper before making and walking gesture with two fingers. Piper nodded.

When the Raiders started arguing again Stephanie shot a lamp on the other side of the room, with their loud voices covering the suppressed shot the Raiders turned to look at the lamp, all but one wandered towards it.

Stephanie snuck forward, grabbed the straggling Raider, and wrapped one of her arms around his neck the other reaching round and her hand covered his mouth and nose. She began dragging him back to where she and Piper had been hiding and Piper made a break for counter as Raider stopped struggling.

Piper took a few breaths; she had never done anything like this before. She usually shot her way out, but there were too many Raiders to fight and she knew there were a lot more of the blighters outside who would be attracted to any noise they made.

She could hear the Raiders again and then there was a clattering noise, no doubt another shot from Stephanie’s pistol to break something, the Raiders voices became alarmed shouts and a few moments after, Stephanie vaulted over the counter and landed next to her. They waited there until the raiders began talking again, or more so cursing the one that had lured them in and complaining about lost plunder.

Stephanie mimed to keep low and lead Piper towards the ‘staff only’ door that the Raiders had left wide open. Leaving from there was relatively easy, as they neared the rear door, they heard several cries of alarm, no doubt that the Raiders had found their unconscious comrade. They went through the door and Stephanie closed it quietly behind them.

They were behind a truck trailer and Piper could hear voices on the other side talking about the trap in Hardware Town and a previous victim who tried to make out he had a motorcycle for his escape, Piper smirked and suppressed a laugh as she and Stephanie snuck back towards Diamond City.

When they were back in the Courtyard outside Piper laughed and Stephanie looked at her with a raised brow.

“Come on Blue!” She said cheerily “We made it out and we didn’t even kill anyone”

“That’s funny?” Stephanie replied still looking confused.

“Do you have any idea how rare that is?” Piper asked and then remembered she was talking to a Pre-war spy “Oh, uh yeah, well most of the time in situations like that you have to shoot your way out and live with it, but you...” Piper fell silent.

“I?” Stephanie prompted and Piper realised she had been silent for some time.

“You are an impossible girl,” Piper said with and smile. Stephanie laughed in the sunlight she practically glowed and Piper felt a blush drift onto her cheeks.

 _‘Get a hold of yourself Piper’_ she thought as she looked away to hide it, and she smiled as she was saved from the awkwardness by the arrival of Detective Nick Valentine and a... dog.

Stephanie walked up so she was standing next to her and the dog barked and then bolted straight for the Vault Dweller with his tongue was hanging out and tail wagging. Stephanie reached down and began to pet him softly mumbling about him being a good boy.

“I think he likes you Stephanie,” Nick said as he neared.

“Please stop calling me Stephanie” the Vault Dweller asked softly “I can’t take it anymore” she chuckled “Only mum called me Stephanie or Kimberly when she wanted to annoy me”

Piper realised that Kimberly must be her sisters name. The vault dweller made a face and spoke in a high pitch tone “Stephanie darling” Piper laughed “Please keep off the flower beds” Stephanie spoke normally again and smiled “I swear my mom loved her flowers more than me and Kimber”

“What should we call you?” Nick asked with a smirk on his face.

“Steph is good, my friends used to call me Stevie” Stephanie replied.

“Stevie is good” Nick replied then smiled cheekily “If you consider us friends”

“What, of course!” Stevie said her eyes widening.

“I think I’ll keep calling you Blue” Piper said.

“That works too” Stevie replied with a chuckle then frowned “Wait, even if I don’t wear the jumpsuit?” Piper laughed.

“Maybe” she replied.

“So, who’s our four legged friend?” Stevie asked looking at Nick.

“That would be Dogmeat”

“Dogmeat?” Stevie asked frowning at the dog looking up at her with his head tilted to the side and tongue hanging out of his mouth as he panted in the afternoon heat.

“Yup” Nick replied “He’s a wastes dog. If anything can track Kellogg, Dogmeat can.”

“Okay boy” Stevie said crouching down and petting his head, looking into his eyes “You ready to help us?” Dogmeat barked happily and stood up.

Nick showed Dogmeat various items that they had found in Kelloggs house and the Dog lead them from outside DC on a merry chase through the woods and along the old railway tracks until they reached the outskirts of Fort Hagen where Stevie called for them to stop.

It was getting dark when they arrived and it was getting harder to see very far ahead except for the odd still functional street light. Stevie pulled the rifle from her back and pressed something on the scope that Piper knew switched it to Night vision.

“Bastard” Stevie said, “He’s definitely in the fort. The bloody defences are active”

“So what do we do?” Piper asked.

“I assume you know the area?” Nick asked, “Since you just made that observation”

“Yeah, this was where I made my reports” Stevie replied, “It was far enough from Sanctuary for me to go about my business undisturbed”

“Anywhere nearby we can hold-up for the night?” Nick asked. Stevie looked through the scope again and began murmuring to herself, after a minute or so she passed the gun to Nick who brought the scope to his eye.

“See the gas station?” Stevie asked to which Nick confirmed “ Look behind the wrecked truck, that’s the Admin block and barracks, there’s part of the building at the back that’s still standing, should be safe enough over night and plenty of defendable areas among the rubble, we can get into the fort using an emergency exit in the morning”

“Sounds like a plan” Nick said giving the rifle back. “Let’s go.”

As they began, their walk down the road to the Administration building Piper noticed Stevie looking around at the buildings and it occurred to Piper that Stevie was very familiar with this place. Seeing in a state of disrepair and nearly destroyed must be uncomfortable.

Piper looked from Stevie to the path ahead and saw something she wished she did not. She grabbed Stevie’s arm causing the vault dweller to face her, Nick had also stopped and Piper saw him reach for his gun, he had seen it too.

Piper pointed ahead and Stevie followed her gaze.

“Is that what I think it is?” Stevie said in a low shocked whisper. She had gone pale upon seeing the gore bag.

“Yeah” Piper replied in the same low tone “It used to be a person, but that’s not what I was pointing at” Stevie looked back and she blinked and had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp.

Next to the gore bag was a sleeping Mutant Hound and his master. The Mutant was still awake and sat with his back to them, but it would not take much to get his attention.

“This must be why Kellogg chose this place” Nick whispered, “The fort is easily defendable and mutants would keep most people away”

“Blue?” Piper whispered upon noticing her frozen in place. Piper then realised that this was her first time seeing a humanoid wasteland creature. They had encountered the wasteland beasts, but had yet to encounter ghouls or mutants. The mutant laughed and they could hear several more deep voices. The vault dweller still stood in place “Stevie” Piper said and took the dwellers hand, that caught her attention and she looked over at Piper.

“is there another way to the building?” Nick asked before Piper could.

Stevie shook her head and blinked a few times and then pointed to the Gas Station, they then quietly made their way over to the station. Once they were inside Stevie began to take deep breaths and Piper knew this was in an effort to calm herself down.

“You holding up, Blue?” Piper asked softly.

“I don’t know” Stevie said sounding distant “A person dismembered and kept as food, a giant green dog and next to both of them” she took a few more breaths “The jolly green giant” Piper smirked.

“At least you still have your sense of humour” Nick said “But going to those ruined buildings might not be a good idea”

“Nope, not a cat in hells chance” Piper added.

“We don’t need to” Stevie said, she seemed calmer “We can get into Hagen from here.” she turned around and walked into the office. Nick and Piper followed.

Stevie began moving her hands across the wall as if looking for something; she was tapping it every so often. “If the switch is even still here,” she continued moving her hands and tapping the wall.

“What switch?” Piper asked.

“An evacuation tunnel” Stevie replied “For non-essential staff so they could escape, one of the exits is here the other comes out by the blood clinic”

Stevie moved her hand and tapped the wall, and then she smiled “Got it” she brought both her hands on the wall and pushed, a small piece of wall pushed back and then she moved it to the side like a door behind it was a switch.

She hit the switch and nothing seemed to happen. Piper looked around the room and then he floor rumbled as two parts of it split and opened up revealing some stairs, but it was completely black at the bottom.

“Why didn’t we come straight here?” Nick asked as he checked his pockets.

“I didn’t think there would be power. It seems I was right at least in relation to the lights. Plus I was thinking some rest would do us good and if there was no power we could try and restore it when it was light” Stevie replied.

Nick brought out his lighter and grabbed a few of the old newspapers and set one alight before throwing it down the steps, it landed near the bottom before it the fire consumed it.

“Well at least we know when the steps end” Nick said but nobody heard him as the howl of the Mutant hound broke the air, they all froze.

“They found us?” Piper asked.

“No. That sounds closer to the fort”

“The Turrets?” Piper asked.

“If it were they would be firing”

“The silent alarm” Stevie suddenly said “Humans can’t hear it” she pointed at Dogmeat who was lying on the floor with his paws over his head trying to cover his ears “Dogs can, we used to have dogs on premises as part of security they were trained to lead their handlers to wherever the alarm sounded.

“So? They are heading here?” Piper asked.

“Yeah” Stevie said looking at the tunnel “The first alarm is just outside the fort, we have maybe three minutes before that one activates” she pointed at a device in the roof.

“We can’t destroy it can we?” Nick said.

“No it’s a series leading here, no way to disable fully without removing power from the fort” Stevie said “Looks like we are going down”

Nick went first followed by Piper. Stevie managed to get Dogmeat to follow her and Piper was holding on to Nick who could remember how many steps there were and lead her to the bottom. She heard the door behind them closing.

“Blue” Piper called softly “Did you make it?”

“Yeah” she replied in the same tone “The green things are right above us, stay quiet”

Nick lit his lighter once they were at the bottom and Piper did the same with hers, it was futile as suddenly the tunnel lit up from on the stairs, at first Piper though that the Mutants had got the door open, but she realised that it was Stevie with a flashlight attached to her pistol.

“How many things do you have for your guns?” Piper whispered bemused as she put her lighter away.

“A few” Stevie replied but she was looking past Piper “Piper, watch where you step” Piper turned and saw what the light was illuminating.

“Looks like Kellogg knew about the tunnel,” Nick said.

Between them and the fort were a series of fragmentation mines and what seemed like a few pulse and plasma variants.

“Piper” Stevie held out her pistol and Piper took it keeping it pointed on the mine near her feet as Stevie crouched.

“Blue?” Piper asked she was freaking out now.

“Pipes trust me” Stevie said “Try and keep the light steady” The use of a nickname did calm Piper a little, and she watched as Stevie deactivated the mine with expert hands and then showing it to Piper with a proud look on her face. “There, see harmless now” Stevie dropped it but caught it again and chuckled at Pipers horrified face. “As if I would” Stevie tucked the mine in her pack.

They made their way slowly down the tunnel with Dogmeat having the easiest time navigating the mines out of the group. Once they reached the end, Stevie disarmed a few more mines and added them to her pack before turning her attention to the door.

“I should have know you would not use the direct approach” came a man’s voice, “Your files here are above classified of course but we were able to acquire parts of them, Phantom” it had to be Kellogg.

Stevie managed to get the door open from the terminal and ushered Piper and Nick inside.

“Clever girl” Kellogg began “Backdoors to the network. The Institute could use you”

Stevie grabbed her pistol from Piper, spun, and shot the speaker on the wall. Stevie pulled the flashlight off the gun and returned it to her pack along with its suppressor. Piper raised a brow, looks like they were going loud.

 They followed Stevie as she marched on, they must have been in Maintenance as there were several sets of machinery and generators in the rooms they passed. Stevie even ducked into one and pulled a fusion core free. They encountered several Synths on their way through but made quick work of them. Stevie still had not spoken she had seemingly forgotten that Piper and Nick were even with her.

They cleared areas rather quickly with the silent Pre-war soldier leading them, Piper looked around as they made their way through what looked like a barracks, and Piper noticed a sign as they continued. It was directing them towards the command centre. Kellogg began to speak to them again but Stevie kept shooting the speakers. When they reached, the final room there was a sealed door at the end. Stevie holstered her pistol and folded her arms looking at the device above the door.

“My Synths and I are standing down” Kellogg’s voice said as the door opened and Stevie walked through, once again, she took her pistol into her hand. Piper was close behind when they entered the room it was dark and the lights came on quickly blinding her, she heard two gunshots and the slamming of the door behind her, when her vision cleared Stevie was stood in front of Kellogg her pistol levelled at his head and two destroyed Synths close by. From the sounds of scraping and whining behind her told her that Dogmeat had been locked on the other side of the door.

“Did you really think you could get the drop on me?” Stevie said angrily “Where is my son?”

“Not here, but he’s safe” Kellogg replied calmly “Your records do you credit. Knowing that I would try to blind you. Closing your eyes to the darkness missing the blinding lights, destroying my Synths,  I should have just shot you”

“You should” Stevie said, “You are going to take me to Shawn”

“Even if I wanted to I couldn’t” Kellogg laughed, “You came all this way” he smiled. “He’s with the Institute”

“Oh boy” Piper said but nobody said anything to her, Stevie was silent her hand shaking.

“No” Stevie said, “I came so far!” she shouted bringing her gun into his face causing him to stagger, she grabbed his belt and pulled the magnum from it. Her own gun found its way back into her holster as Kellogg recovered.

“You are going to pay for what you did to me” Stevie snarled, Piper saw Stevie pull back the hammer and lower the gun, aiming at his lower body, a loud retort and Kellogg staggered back against the machinery with a laugh despite the hole in his leg.

“You won’t kill me yet” Kellogg laughed, “This is personal. The Phantom I read about would make me suffer”

Stevie smiled “You got that right” she looked at Kelloggs gun for a few moments and then the magnum found its way into her belt, she checked her pack was closed and then she handed her pack along with her rifle to Piper who took them. Nick grabbed Piper and pulled her back. Stevie cracked her knuckles and smiled at Kellogg. “Come and have a go if you think you are hard enough”

Kellogg lunged but Stevie side stepped and brought her palm into the back of his head, he howled and spun back bringing a series of harsh punches that Stevie managed to block. Kellogg brought his foot up and kicked her in the gut she stepped back winded, he brought his fist into the side of her head, and she fell to the floor.

Pipers eyes widened as he walked towards Stevie perfectly despite having a hole in his leg. Piper drew her 10mm and aimed but Nick pushed it down and shook his head. “He’ll kill her,” she whispered. Nick remained silent and Piper looked back to Kellogg as Stevie pushed herself up but the mercenary knocked her down again with a kick to the ribs. He reached down, pulled his magnum from her belt, and put the hammer back levelling it at the back of her head.

“I expected better” Kellogg said and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

Stevie spun and brought her leg under his and he fell, she then lifted her leg up and brought her heal down onto his stomach he coughed and there was a crack.

Stevie laughed as she stood, she reached down and grabbed Kellogg and pulled him up. She slammed him against some machinery and brought her fist into his chest several time, she pulled the knife from Kellogg’s belt and rammed it deep into his shoulder and he howled in pain, she pulled it free and brought it into his stomach and threw him to the floor. He clutched at his stomach as Stevie reached for the magnum and picked it up, she opened the chamber and put a hand in her pocket removing a single bullet and putting it in the gun.

Piper remembered the Vault and how she had emptied Curies gun without them noticing she had just done the same thing again, Piper opened Stevie’s pack and sure enough inside there were several loose bullets.

“People like you never learned the weight of a loaded gun before the war and little has changed” Stevie closed the chamber and spun it. “Now you killed my best friend, he was my husband for the purpose of a mission but I loved him none the less” Stevie pointed the gun at Kelloggs head and pulled the trigger. Nothing.

“It was a platonic relationship, he loved me and knew I loved him” She pulled the trigger again, nothing “I could never give him what he desired, not physically. But he was the only man I would ever love and you took him from me”

“Boo-hoo” Kellogg managed coughing blood. Stevie kicked him and the knife was forced deeper into his stomach, blood began pooling on his shirt and jacket now that wound had grown and the blade no longer restricted the blood flow.

Stevie pulled the trigger again, this time Kelloggs head fell back with a hole between the eyes.

“Goodbye Kellogg” Stevie said “Tell whatever devil you believe in that I send my regards”

Stevie reached down to the mercenary’s body, unclasped his belt, and pulled it free. She then affixed it around her own waste and slid the magnum into the holster so it rested just above the gun clasped to her thigh.

“Stevie?” Piper said.

“Give me a minute Piper” Stevie replied her voice soft and sounding defeated. She moved over to some steps in front of an emergency door and sat down.

Piper looked around the room, she saw a workstation that was pristine and a clinical white, It looked out of place so she walked over. The round terminal was unlike any she has seen before so she pressed a few keys hoping to wake it up, once the screen lit up she looked around the desk for a password. Part way through her search Nick came to her side holding a scruffy piece of paper with some writing on it, Piper entered into the console and it came to life.

“Shawn was definitely taken to the institute there are logs all over this terminal” Piper told Nick, who nodded and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag that had seen better days, inside of which was something pink and sticky looking. “Eww, what the hell is that?”

“Part of Kelloggs brain” Nick replied “It matches a device in Curies brain, it’s used to record memories, maybe just maybe we can find out what’s on here”

“You mean the Memory Den?” Piper asked.

“If anyone can tell us what that old Merc saw, it’s Doc Amari”

Piper nodded and stood up grabbing the comic on the desk for Nat and returning to Stevie who was still in that same position. Stevie did not look up as they approached.

“Blue?” Piper said hoping the use of her moniker would distract her. Stevie did indeed look up with red eyes. “How you holding up?”

“Not good” Stevie replied and stood nodding at her things that Piper was still carrying; the reporter started giving them back to her as she continued speaking “Shawn is still missing, and he’s with a group of people that might as well not exist.”

“We’ll find them Blue,” Piper said.

“I hope so Piper, I want my son” Stevie turned to the locked emergency door, pulled off a small panel exposing some wires, and began messing with them “He is more than I lead you to believe. As I said to Kellogg to I loved Nate, but I could never” she trailed off “We used a surrogate mother, artificially created a child that was ours. He’s the only part of Nate I have left.”

Piper looked at Nick who did not seem to react “I suspected” the synth said in a whisper to Piper.

There was a noise as Stevie meshed a few wires together and the doors opened up. Dogmeat came running in once the door at the far end of the room opened and they all followed Stevie out into a corridor and towards an elevator, once they were in Stevie pressed a button the elevator lurched into life. Dogmeat rubbed his head against Stevies leg and the vault dweller scratched behind his ears. Once they disembarked, there was a door ahead wired up to a terminal.

Stevie got into the computer without issue, once it opened they were on the roof, Piper saw the turrets and pulled out her gun but Stevie grabbed her hand and pushed it down, she tried to say something but her words were lost in the noise from overhead.

A massive airship of some kind flew above them, Vertibirds dropped from it and flew in all multiple directions, and one flew close by heading over towards Cambridge.

“People of the Commonwealth” came a broadcast from the ship “We are the Brotherhood of Steel” Piper did not really focus on what else was said, the ship was unlike anything she had seen.

“Deep in that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing,” Nick said.

Following the arrival of the Prydwen it was easy to get past the mutants as the mindless creatures were taking pot shots at it as if hoping their feeble rifles could take down the Brotherhood Flagship. They kept walking until they were north of Cambridge; it had become too dark to travel by that point so they made shelter in a nearby building, Stevie offering to take first watch.

Piper awoke a few hours later and saw that Nick was still inactive meaning that Stevie had not woke him up to relieve her on watch. Piper rolled over, keeping her eyes narrow and looked at the vault dweller, her face was glowing in the light from the remaining embers in the fire as she prodded them with a stick. Dogmeat was asleep snuggled into her side.

“You should be sleeping” Stevie said.

“How did you know I was awake?” Piper asked.

“Your breathing” Stevie replied, “It became a little harsher” she spoke softly and seemed distant. Piper sat up rubbed her eyes and her neck, she then moved closer to the fire, and sat opposite Stevie.

“Are you okay?” Piper asked.

“No” Stevie said, but did not elaborate.

“Okay. I’ll be a wee bit more specific. What is it?” Piper asked, “We aren’t giving up, we will find Shawn”

“I don’t know if I should” Stevie replied tears in eyes and sadness in her voice “You saw what I did”

“You killed the man who hurt you, killed your husband and stole your son”

“No” Stevie replied, “It was more, he had to suffer” the vault dweller rubbed her eyes “I stabbed him, he would have died from the blood loss, yet I played with him before putting a bullet in his head.”

“Blue” Piper said but Stevie talked over her.

“He needed to know his luck would run out, that he wasn’t untouchable. The Institute needed to know they were not untouchable, Kellogg was a message.” Stevie bit her lip. “That’s what I am. I am not a mother. I am an assassin, a killer.”

Piper was silent then and Stevie looked away out of the window nearby at the sky above.

“This world is where I belong” Stevie said. Piper did agree but for other reasons such as the actions with Preston and his group, and reasons that were personal to Piper, reasons she did not quite understand yet.

“We’ll find Shawn, Blue” Piper said reaching over the fire to put a hand on Stevies shoulder “Don’t give up”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for taking the time to read my fics :) As always your thoughts are welcome in the comments section.
> 
> Chapter 2: Concord - A Pre war soldier meets Preston. Whats the worst that can happen?


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